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Marcia Kull, vice president of marine sales for Volvo Penta of the Americas, has been recognized by The Manufacturing Institute as one of the top women in U.S. manufacturing for 2016. Kull will be honored at the 4th Annual Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award at a gala dinner April 21 in Washington, D.C. This annual event recognizes dynamic women business leaders and role models in the manufacturing industry, at all levels, from the factory floor to the C-suite. 

 

“These 130 women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing,” said Jennifer McNelly, executive director, The Manufacturing Institute. “We chose to honor these women because they each made significant achievements in manufacturing through a positive impact on their company and the industry as a whole. The STEP Ahead Awards are part of the larger STEP Ahead initiative, launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research and leadership for attracting, advancing and retaining strong female talent.”

 

At Volvo Penta, Kull facilitated year-over-year diesel engine unit growth averaging 14 percent while increasing profitability; created a regionally-based dealer development team to generate pull-through sales of Volvo Penta-powered gasoline sterndrive boats; developed Volvo Penta’s North American marine commercial segment; restructured the commercial distributor network; and mentored young employees through the Volvo Penta International Mentorship Program. She developed a national turn-key program to promote recreational boating as a leisure activity for women called “Women Making Waves,” which provides boating skills classes for women in over 1,600 marine dealerships nationwide.

 

“Marcia’s award is a shining example of the great contributions she and other women are making that impact the recreational boating industry on a daily basis,” said Thom Dammrich, president of NMMA. “She has been an invaluable asset to our organization and to the marine industry as a whole. We are thrilled she is being honored with such a well-deserved and well-recognized award.”

 

“Marcia Kull has leveraged all of the experience she’s gained working across the industry to help her succeed as a commercial leader to promote Volvo Penta,” said Ron Huibers, president of Volvo Penta of the Americas. “She is highly respected by her peers, customers and even competitors for her depth of knowledge of Volvo Penta products and markets, and she has taken on great responsibility with her involvement in industry and governmental organizations that serve the national marine community.”

 

Kull chairs the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA) Engine Manufacturers Division and is the first woman in the role. Prior to that appointment, she served on the NMMA Boating Industry Risk Management Council for six years, also the first woman in that role. She now serves on the six-member NMMA executive board of directors and was appointed by the Secretary of Homeland Security to serve on the National Boating Safety Advisory Council in 2007.